Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
by Pearl Bramble of Willowbottom
Summary: During Harry Potter's whole life, he's known nothing but misery at the hands of his family, until he gets invited to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Now, Harry can barely keep up in classes, struggles with making friends, and is threatened with expulsion, while everyday, his magical abilities continue to grow. Can Harry survive the threat that's from inside and out?


Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

Disclaimer: I'm neither rich, nor live in the U.K., so I'm not J.K. Rowling, I'm just borrowing her world for a little bit, I'll put everything back once I'm finished with it.

Warning: Despite its PG rating, this whole series is very dark, possibly much darker than J.K. Rowling's original series.

Author's Note: Although J.K. Rowling did a wonderful job on her financially successful book series, there have always been certain things I've questioned while reading the series. I'm going to rewrite the series, while answering my own questions. The basic storyline of this book won't be changed, just little things added and point of view rearranged. This is something I've always wanted to do ever since reading the Harry Potter book series, but didn't have the courage to try, until now. I'm kind of freaking out, because this is a big deal for me, but I'll give it a try.

Summary: A darker version of the Harry Potter series which includes Manipulative Dumbledore, Abused Harry, Grey Harry, and Growing Trio.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.

Chapter One-The Boy Who Lived.

Albus Dumbledore looked up from his stack of parchment on his chestnut desk as his silver alarm mechanism chimed loudly in his tower shaped office. Albus Dumbledore was tall, thin, and very old, judging by the silver in his hair and beard, both of which were long enough to tuck into his belt. He wore long purple robes that swept the ground, and high heeled buckled boots. His eyes were light, bright, and sparkling behind half-moon spectacles and his nose was very long and crooked, as if it had been broken, twice. Going to the whirling, tinkling device, Dumbledore prodded it with his wand, making an image of a cottage rise out of a mirror at the bottom. An emerald green skull with a snake protruding out of its mouth like a forked tongue glittered above it. The image flickered in and out of focus. Dumbledore didn't react to the image at all. The Potter Cottage was already protected by the Fidelius Charm, a complicated spell that would make the house invisible to anyone but the Secret Keeper. Lily Potter used that spell herself, being very good at Charms, while her husband James Potter, assigned the position of Secret Keeper to his best mate, Sirius Black. The flickering and sign were most likely just a trap to catch Dumbledore unawares. It wasn't the first time someone had tried to trick Dumbledore into believing something that wasn't true. The thought made Dumbledore's insides tense at the Longbottoms being in danger when he would be concentrating on the Potter's. Dumbledore went to an identical device and checked its image of a house. The Longbottom residence was also still protected. Dumbledore sighed as the tense feeling loosened. Relief flooded Dumbledore at both Neville Longbottom and Harry Potter still under his protection from the darkest wizard since Grindlewald, Lord Voldemort. Lord Voldemort hated any wizard or witch who wasn't pure blooded and vowed to wipe out any blood traitor, half-blood and muggle-born, starting in Great Britain and spreading throughout the world. Dumbledore knew Lord Voldemort would first go after blood traitors like the Longbottoms, then the Potter's for James Potter's blood traitor status and Lily Potter's Muggleborn status. Many of the best wizards and witches who stood up to Lord Voldemort died by his hand. He already ordered his followers to kill Fabian and Gideon Prewitt, Molly Prewitt Weasley's brothers, and the Bones's, causing Susan to go live with her aunt Amelia Bones, head of the Department of Magical Law. A silvery, transparent image of a doe appeared in Dumbledore's office, speaking in a baritone male's voice. "The Fidelius Spell has ended, the Potter's have been discovered, You-Know-Who has been there...". Once the transparent doe delivered its message, it disappeared. Recalling a happier memory than the message just given to him, Dumbledore pointed his wand toward his office door, and a second later, a transparent phoenix emerged from the end of it. As Dumbledore watched the phoenix fly through the solid wooden door, the tense feeling in his stomach returned and intensified. He hoped for all their sakes this was another trick to lure him into a false sense of security. A moment later, the office door flew off its hinges, jerking forward by a tremendous force. If the force was large, it was nothing compared to the man on the other side of it. He was twice the size of a normal man and at least five times as wide. He looked too big to be allowed and so wild-long tangles of bushy black hair and beard hid most of his face, he had hands the size of trash can lids and his feet in their leather boots were like baby dolphins. At the end of his vast muscular arm was the door as if it weighed nothing more than a toothpick.

"I got yer message and came as fast as I could, professor Dumbledore, sir."

"Ah, Hagrid, I'm sorry to disturb your sleep this evening, there are more pressing matters, at hand; it seems the Potters have been attacked."

"No...y'don't think Lily, James, 'n little Harry..." the giant's voice trembled as his eyes widened, then filled with tears at the very thought.

"We won't know anything until we see the occupants of the house alive, ourselves. I had already asked Severus Snape to guard the Potter's cottage, tonight. It was he who sent me the message. As you have never gotten your apparition license, I will take us to the Potter residence. Be on your guard, it could be a trap." Taking Hagrid's arm, Dumbledore and Hagrid disappeared so silently, you would have thought they had sunk into the ground. The only sign that anyone had been in the room at all was the wooden door, which fell to the floor with a bang loud enough to wake up the entire castle. A moment later, both Dumbledore and Hagrid arrived at the cottage. A green skull with a snake protruding out of its mouth like a forked tongue floated above the cottage. Dumbledore's insides froze at the sight. It appeared Voldemort had indeed been there and left his mark, as he had above the house of everyone he killed. Noticing the door already opened, Dumbledore stepped through and lit his wand. The first body he saw, and it didn't improve his tenseness, was that of a black haired young man with hazel eyes behind round framed glasses lying motionless on the bottom of the stairs, his eyes staring unseeingly at the new visitors.

"Hagrid, would you be so kind as to move the body of James Potter?"

"Of course, professor Dumbledore." Picking up the lifeless body of who was once one of the most admired wizards in several centuries of his family as if he weighed nothing more than a rag doll, Hagrid gently placed him outside. Turning his wand at the body, Dumbledore conjured a white sheet, and directed it to float over the body and cover it. Once Dumbledore and Hagrid reentered the house, both followed the railing up the stairs to the nursery. Entering the baby's room, they came across a dark haired man with sallow skin and a hooked nose in black robes tensely eyeing the whole room. "There's a dark presence in this room. I've done everything to dispel the evil spirit, however, I cannot vanquish or drive it away." The man's baritone voice was the same that came from the silvery, transparent doe.

A warm, protective energy seemed to emanate from the very nursery, itself. Noticing a tense heaviness in the air that sparked of dark magic still present in the room, Dumbledore pulled out his wand from inside his robe and waved it around. Dumbledore stumbled back as a wave of the dark, heavy, magical energy hit him. Bracing himself against the onslaught, Dumbledore channeled his magical energy and cast even more nonverbal spells at the unseen entity. A high pitched scream shook the windowpanes of the room, and a spirit fled passed Dumbledore out of the room and slipped underneath the front door, into the night. As soon as the evil spirit left, the dark haired man's feet gave out from under him and he fell to the ground in the middle of the floor, clutched the body of a dark red haired woman and bent his head. "I'm sorry my dear boy, I know Lily Evans Potter was a close friend of yours and meant a great deal to you," Dumbledore replied gently, placing a comforting hand on the man's shoulder. At Dumbledore's touch, the black robed man's shoulders trembled as he gasped convulsively and sobbed heavily. The dark haired, black robed man continued to weep as Dumbledore consoled the distraught man as much as possible. At hearing a baby's cry, Dumbledore turned, his heart stopping at what could only mean one thing. Dumbledore didn't dare to hope until he could see for himself what his ears were telling him. Hagrid wrapped a blanket around something in the crib nearby, lifted it out, and turned to Dumbledore. Dumbledore left the black robed man to dry his eyes for the moment and peered at the bundle of blankets in Hagrid's muscular arms. Nestled in the bundle was a baby with jet black hair, his emerald green eyes overflowing with tears. A lightning shaped scar marred his forehead. "Let's get Harry to Madam Pomfrey for an inspection to prevent too many delays," Dumbledore suggested, turning to the dark robed man who lifted the body of Lily Evans Potter into his arms. "Professor Snape, please place Lily's body next to her husband's outside, we'll meet you in Madam Pomfrey's office." Noticing a wand underneath the crib, Dumbledore pocketed it for safekeeping. Leading the way downstairs, Dumbledore and Hagrid stepped outside and with a swish of Dumbledore's robes, they were gone. A moment later, Dumbledore and Hagrid appeared in a room with rows of metal beds and bedside tables to the sides of them. A woman wearing a scarlet dress and apron came bustling out of an office at the sight of the wizard and giant and waved her wand at one of the beds, which instantly changed into a baby's table.

"Put him here, what happened?" The woman demanded as Hagrid gently laid Harry onto it.

"Voldemort murdered Lily and James Potter. It seems he tried to kill Harry as well. Somehow, Harry survived Voldemort's attack." Both Madam Pomfrey and Hagrid winced at the name of the second darkest wizard of the 20th century, but Dumbledore, who turned at Snape's arrival, didn't seem to notice. As Madam Pomfrey waved her wand over Harry and Hagrid looked on her proceedings, Dumbledore pulled Snape aside. "When I stepped inside Harry's nursery tonight, I noticed ancient magic had been used."

"I too felt the sensation of protective magic as I arrived. Lily Potter was studying for her mastery in Charms, and she had always been very good in that subject during her school years, you don't think she had something to do with the fact that Harry survived, do you?"

"There's only one way for someone to survive the killing curse, however, it's such a rare form of magic that hardly anyone knows of its existence. Lily Potter's sacrifice protected Harry tonight, and he survived the killing curse, weakening Voldemort himself!" Before either one could continue their discussion, Madam Pomfrey finished her diagnosis and turned to the headmaster and professor.

"Besides a scar in the shape of a lightning bolt on his forehead and traumatization from tonight's events, he's perfectly healthy. The question now is, whatever shall we do with him, he can't live here forever."

"I could take care of the little tyke, he reminds me of me self when I was his age," Hagrid began, before he was cut off by Dumbledore.

"No Hagrid, you have enough responsibility, besides, this boy will be famous before he can walk or talk for something he won't even remember. I have already arranged for him to live with his aunt and uncle, they must sign the contract, which is essential. Well give him here, Hagrid, let's get this over with."

"Albus Perceival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore! Why would you make Lily Potter's sister Petunia and her husband Vernon Dursley, magic hating Muggles who don't want anything to do with our society, take Harry by using a Compulsion Charm on your letter?" A red faced stocky old man with bright blue eyes and long grey hair and beard wearing a grey robe appeared next to Dumbledore so suddenly that it might be assumed he just popped up out of the ground.

If Dumbledore was surprised by the sudden visitor, he didn't show it. "Hello Aberforth, to what do I owe your untimely visit?" Dumbledore asked, pleasantly.

"Don't give me insignificant pleasantries, have you forgotten what happened to Arianna? What kind of life she led in secret? You're placing Harry Potter, a boy who is now famous for defeating the Dark Lord a mere hour ago, in the same situation our sister grew up in; hiding her from society because Muggles didn't understand uncontrollable magic after she was tortured by those Muggle boys! Only, it's even worse, at least our parents understood that it wasn't her fault unexplainable things happened to her; Harry won't get that, he'll be downtrodden and dependable the moment he steps into Hogwarts, if the Dursley's don't squash his magical core or kill him first!"

"Don't bring our sister into this! I have repented from my irresponsibility in my youth by defeating Grindlewald and remaining as headmaster of Hogwarts instead of becoming Minister of Magic. Our family secret was a completely different situation, our father was imprisoned for retaliating against those Muggle boys, at least Harry won't grow up in a single parent household like we did. Besides, as I just told Professor McGonagall, it's the best place for him, he'll be protected from fame and grow up in a normal environment."

"His older sister is growing up in a normal environment and she isn't connected by blood magic, her house was placed under protective enchantments and through the love of her adoptive parents!"

"We don't need Voldemort's remaining followers to find both children and use the killing curse on them before they start their magical education. No, it's better if they remain separated until the time comes for them to finally meet. Harry's older sister will still have the task of protecting him and a representative from the school will tell them their true origins."

"Why not also send Harry to a Muggle family, then, why send him to someone who has always despised magic out of jealousy and the husband who does the same out of biased ignorance?"

"Because the boy will need twice the amount of protection as his sister does. Voldemort only went after Harry because he feared that the prophecy about the boy would come true, making it fulfilled. The only way the Blood Protection will work is if we use Lily's remaining blood relative to further her own protective charm through her sacrificial death for him. Although Harry will have a hard childhood, he will grow to hate all that the Dursley's stand for, something needed if we on the Light side want to defeat Voldemort once and for all."

"You are raising Harry like a pig for slaughter so that he can die at the proper moment." It was the first time Snape joined in Albus and Aberforth's conversation.

"You have always placed those you claim to love into the most danger, and now you are about to destroy the childhood of the savior of the Wizarding World!"

"Sacrifices must be made for the greater good, something Professor Snape and I understand. I wish you would do the same."

"That's something that has always been different between you and I, I don't use people for my selfish ends." With those departing words and a pop, Aberforth disappeared into thin air. Albus Dumbledore sighed deeply and turned to McGonagall, who had kept silent during this family exchange of words. Adjusting Harry in his arms, Dumbledore bent down, and placed him on the front step of number four Privet Drive, then stepped back to join McGonagall and Hagrid in watching him. McGonagall turned to stare at him, her eyes widening behind square glasses and her mouth dropping open so that she looked like a goldfish out of water.

"Have you gone senile old man, do you know nothing about raising children? It's the middle of winter and you leave Harry Potter on the front doorstep without so much as a heating charm on him?!" It was the first time McGonagall sounded angry at him, her eyes flashing behind her spectacles as she shook her finger at him. Dumbledore winced, silently praying that the device he used to put out the streetlights would also muffle their voices, the last thing they needed was to wake the Muggles and expose their society. "He's a ten month old baby, what if he crawls off and gets run over by a car or kidnapped, after everything we've done to get him here?" Dumbledore stared at Professor McGonagall, looking quite shocked as his face turned extremely white and his eyes widened to the size of saucers as he realized what he had almost done.

"You're right, McGonagall, I don't know what I was thinking, I will ring the doorbell and give Harry to his aunt, so the boy will remain safe." At his own words, Dumbledore picked up Harry off the front step, still tucked in his blankets with the letter clutched in his fist, and boldly rang the doorbell. A few moments later, everyone could hear loud stomping and muttered threats as two people neared the door, which opened with a loud snap.

"What do you want! Do you know it is past midnight?" A large, fat man with a very large mustache demanded.

"Vernon, do you know who that is? Get them inside, before the neighbors see!" The voice of a horse faced woman with blonde hair and a long neck hissed behind him. Vernon held the door open for the unexpected visitors and almost slammed it as soon as they walked in. "What do you want at this time of night and what is he doing here?" The woman's voice still held venom and she pointed at the bundle of blankets in Dumbledore's arms as if he held a giant slug.

"I'm sorry to disturb you at this time of night, Vernon and Petunia Dursley. I am Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and I must have you sign this contract and place Harry in your care."

"Why can't my sister and her good for nothing husband take care of him? We don't want any freaks in our house," Petunia Dursley protested.

Dumbledore bristled at this insult and gripped his wand tightly underneath his robes. "I would take kindly to you not to refer to wizarding kind as freaks. I will not have you mistreat the boy just because I could not accept you into Hogwarts, along with your sister, Petunia Evans Dursley. Please sit down, I have some terrible news to give you."

Once Vernon and Petunia Dursley sat on the couch and Dumbledore waved his wand, only for a violently purple chair to appear and sat in it did he continue. "I'm sorry to tell you this, there's no gentle way to put it, but your sister and her husband are dead."

Petunia's face turned extremely white at hearing this and she clutched Vernon's hand very tightly. "How did this happen, when?"

"Lily and James Potter were murdered by none other than Lord Voldemort himself. He tried to kill Harry too, somehow he failed to do so and Harry survived. You are the last of Harry's remaining blood relatives. As such, I need you to sign this contract of guardianship, stating that as long as Harry calls your house home, he will be protected. This will cast a Blood Protection Spell around the house, detouring any of Voldemort's followers from finding him, here." As Dumbledore said this, he carefully loosened Harry's grip on the letter, opened the piece of parchment, and spread it onto the coffee table. Waving his wand again, a bottle of ink and a quill appeared beside it.

"What happens if we don't sign this ruddy paper?" Vernon asked, gruffly.

A hard gleam appeared in Dumbledore's blue eyes at Vernon's words. It was hard enough procuring the Blood Protection Contract in the first place, which was intended to be used on the Longbottoms, finding Lily and James's dead bodies, discovering that Harry had miraculously survived, and delivering the news to two people he didn't want anything to do with. To deny responsibility of the boy when Dumbledore himself was doing everything he could to protect the savior of the wizarding world...Well, as the Muggles said, it was time to bring out the big guns, or wands, rather. "Would you really want to find your house painted gaudy colors and your Muggle devices malfunctioning, making you become the gossip of the entire neighborhood?" Dumbledore's voice remained pleasant, as if he was only mentioning the weather, however, both flinched as Dumbledore withdrew his wand, which shot off a few sparks.

"Where do we sign?" Both Vernon and Petunia asked at the same time, fumbling to get their hands on the bottle of ink and the quill, first.

Dumbledore's mustache twitched as he smiled at the Dursley's eagerness. It was simply amazing how a little firm persuasion could convince people to do what he wanted quite easily. "Just sign on the bottom line and I will take my leave." After both Vernon and Petunia Dursley signed the Blood Protection Contract, Dumbledore waved his wand over the piece of parchment, whereby a duplicate appeared, rolled up his copy and stuffed it inside his robe pocket. "I wish we could have met under different circumstances. I will be sending someone periodically to silently check on your nephew's progress. I will come back in ten years' time as a representative to escort Harry to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. There's no need to see me to the door, I will see myself out. Have a pleasant evening, Mr. and Mrs. Dursley" Tipping his wizard hat to them, Dumbledore opened the front door, whereby both Professor McGonagall and Hagrid leapt back from it with guilty looks on their faces. Moments, later, Dumbledore strolled to the end of the street, and with a swish of his robes, he was gone. A breeze ruffled the neat hedges of number four Privet Drive and as Petunia Dursley settled Harry next to his cousin, Dudley, not waking up, he rolled over in his sleep, clutching the blanket in his hand, not knowing he was special, not knowing he was famous, not knowing he would spend the first few months of his life being poked and prodded by Dudley, not knowing everyone in the wizarding communities around the world were holding up their glasses and saying in hushed voices, to Harry Potter, the boy-who-lived.


End file.
